Aerrow's Family Spirit
by OutlawedAngel
Summary: Piper. Dead. Aerrow. Family. Daughter. Truth. Make sense? Read and figure it out!


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Storm Hawks**

**CLAIMER: I own Pippin, Kayne, Melody, Lily, Reece, Patrick, Luke, Hannah, Coach Stinner, Aunt Marigold and the Princezz Playaz hockey team.**

**Aerrow's Family Spirit**

"Dad! Can you come here for a sec?" Pippin's voice rang out in the evening air, "Yeah Dad. Can you come here?" Kayne called out from where he and his sister were crouched around a map. Their father laughed as he came out of his office to go help them with whatever it was they were doing.

Looking at the young man you'd see a striking resemblance to the person who was famous all those years ago. With the flaming red hair and striking green eyes, Aerrow, the former leader of the legendary Storm Hawks squadron was now married to Lily and had three children.

Melody Fitzgerald, or Mitzy, was their eldest at twenty-nine. Married with children of her own, she still made time to come and see her younger brother and sister every weekend.

Pippin and Kayne on the other hand were only thirteen and Kayne was only two days older than Pippin. As Aerrow was joined by his wife Lily noticed that the map that Pippin and Kayne were poring over had a mark of a crystal and hawk in flight in the bottom left corner.

Lily took this moment to gaze at her husband only to notice the pain and guilt the haunted the retired sky knight day in and day out. At night he would awake yelling softly or crying to himself often waking Lily along with him.

She knew why though and she didn't question it. Often she only held him tight and stroked his hair as he whispered to himself over and over again, "She's gone. She's gone."

Three times before Kayne and Pippin had awoken to their father's yells and bolted to their room to see what was going on. The first time it happened they were so scared they didn't know what to do.

That was how Piper became a legend and heroine in the family's household. Revealing what happened that night was the best thing that happened to Aerrow.

After being through many disgruntled relationships, Aerrow was relieved to find someone who didn't worry about his revisiting the past. Now looking at the man she loved, Lily looked between the map, her children and her husband in turn.

She knew why Aerrow wore such a pained look. Maps were always _her_ thing. Piper. The amber-eyed woman held a special place in each of their hearts with a photograph of the family and Piper resting atop the fireplace.

The photo was taken just three days before the explosion that took Piper's life. Then the door opened and three more children ran through it along with the faint reprimands of their mother, "Hannah! Luke! Patrick! Stop running around like that! You'll tire yourselves out!"

Aerrow, Lily, Pippin and Kayne all looked up to see the trio stop dead and singsong in unison, "Yes mother!" Then Mitzy walked in with her husband Reece walk in the door.

The men exchanged handshakes and greetings, the women kisses and hugs. Reece was a handsome young man with striking pale blue eyes and copper hair.

Melody was the striking image of her mother. Pale blonde hair it was almost white and striking sapphire eyes. Kayne was the striking image of his father but Pipping was a mix. Strawberry blonde hair (a mix of red and gold) and green-blue eyes.

Hannah, Luke and Patrick all looked to spitting image of their parents. All had copper hair and blue eyes. Their hair wasn't the dark copper of their father but a lighter colour due to their mother's hair.

Pippin and Hannah squealed and raced at each other swinging each other around in a hug. Patrick – the eldest of Mitzy's three children at fifteen – picked Pippin up and swung her around like Aerrow used to do.

Luke and Kayne hugged and Hannah gave Kayne a kiss on the cheek which he recoiled at making a retching noise. His eyes gleamed with a mischievous light and he chased Hannah around the room trying to plant one on her too.

Patrick, Luke and Pippin laughed so hard they fell to the floor in a heap with a _thump!_ and tears streaming down their faces. Hannah – looking over her shoulder at Kayne – didn't notice the three on the floor, tripped over Luke and landed on Patrick.

Kayne stopped and looked at the floor before falling on top of the heap crying, "Stacks on Patrick!" Pippin – who had stood up and gone to get a drink – came back and shouted in shock at the sight of three boys and one girl in a heap on the floor all tangled in each other.

Then she collapsed on to the sofa in between her Mum and Dad. She sighed and leaned against her father in exhaustion. The hockey training that morning had left her drained and now just looking at her brother and their friends wore her out.

She gulped down her drink and stood up yawning, "I'm going to sleep for a bit. I'm knackered." Her mother shouted at the boys to quit yelling as Hannah had gotten herself out of the mess and said, "Alright honey. Don't strain yourself too much. That Hockey team..."

"Princezz Playaz, Mum"

" ...Yes that and Coach Stinner wore you out enough as it is."

Patrick looked up and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Bed." Was the answer he received.

Finally managing to get them untangled, the boys brushed themselves off. Patrick opened his arms to Pippin and she gave him a tight hug. Then – in turn – she gave everyone a hug, her parents a kiss and went to her room.

As she drifted in and out of sleep, Pippin thought about how lucky she was to have a loving family like she did. She knew a lot of other people with either no family or families that ignored their existence.

When she finally did fall asleep, she dreamt of the friend and God-Mother she never had a chance to meet. Piper was Kayne and Pippin's God-Mother. Lily's Aunt Marigold was Melody's. In Pippin's dream she saw Piper, in a body-hugging dress made of pure midnight blue silk and an orange belt made of velvet.

Piper extended one hand to Pippin and spoke to her for the first time, "Come with me young one. I have something I would like to show you." Pippin reached for Piper's fingers and this time – instead of vanishing in to thin air – Pippin's fingers connected with Piper's. They grasped each other firmly but gently and Piper lead the way to a viewing pool where she waved her hand over the surface and an image appeared.

Pippin gasped, the hand that wasn't holding on to Piper flying to her mouth. It was her dad in his glory days. Standing around a round table with what looked like a merb, a wallop, a sky monkey and two other humans. Piper, pointing to each one in turn said their names, "Stork," she said pointing to the merb, "Junko," was the wallop, "Radarr," the sky monkey, "Finn," was the blonde male human, "And your father and I."

Pointing to her father's younger form and her younger self, Piper said to Pippin, "Your father and I were best friends even before the Storm Hawks were reformed. He turned us in to his team because he trusted us." Piper looked Pippin right in to the eye and said to her, "I'm going to tell you a very long story but not right now. When you wake, you will find a letter has been sent to you and it will be from me. When you read it, you will find out the story."

Pippin nodded, "Can I wake up now? Am I rested enough?" Piper nodded, "Yes. You are rested enough. Wake now my god-daughter." Waving furiously to Piper, Pippin slipped from sleep's fingers and woke.

She ran out in to the living room much to the surprise of her family. Ignoring all questions and accusations, she ran outside to the mailbox and found the promised letter. She raced back in to her room and read the letter in private;

_Dear Pippin,_

_I promised you the whole story so here it is..._

_When your father, Finn and I were still young, we lived together – just the three of us with Radarr – on a small terra named Terra Neverlandis. We loved it there but there was a group of Want-To-Be Cyclonians that were determined to take over._

_Grimsly and his cronies were cruel people. No older than we were back then they tricked us and broke in to our fort. They trapped us and Junko – who was with Grimsly at the time – was ordered to throw us in to the Wastelands over the Terra's edge, but he couldn't do it._

_Later he offered us the use of his skimmer, to find the legendary Condor. The original Storm Hawks airship. We jumped at the chance and were soon following the map that some of the last surviving Elder's had given Aerrow earlier._

_We found the Condor but were ambushed by Stork, whom already inhabited the Condor after he found her when his home – Terra Merbia – was attacked by the Cyclonians._

_He told us he had refurnished the Condor and patched her up after the defeat she and her crew suffered in the last battle. He also said that he looked everywhere but he, "Couldn't find the blasted key to the ship!" Were his exact words if memory serves me correctly._

_After Aerrow produced the key that the Elder's had handed him along with the map and handed it over to Stork, the Condor was soon in motion and Stork took us to check out the hanger bay where Aerrow distributed positions._

_Finn was first and he was given the title of 'Sharpshooter'. I was second and was given the title 'Crystal Mage'. Aerrow also said I was in charge of, "All the smart stuff."_

_Stork was our carrier pilot and Radarr became Aerrow's Co-Pilot. We were only missing our 'Strongman'._

_That became Junko's title later on when we got out Terra back from the Want-To-Be Cyclonians. Aerrow said that, "Well. We got our terra back. But knowing what we know now... This whole Storm Hawks thing... It doesn't really feel like 'home' here anymore."_

_It was true now that we were the Storm Hawks and Atmosian Protectors, Terra Neverlandis never felt like home anymore. Nowhere did. So what did we do? Why you clever father and I turned the Condor in to an apartment style ship._

_I had a lab and we each had our own rooms._

_That's basically all that I have to tell you. If you want to, show this to your father and tell him I still think about the good old days. Tell him not to worry about me, I'm perfectly fine._

_Yours forever and always,_

_Piper. xx_

Pippin felt ridiculously happy now that her father's history had been revealed. Gathering up the letter, she skipped out to the living room and settled on the couch between her parents. Then collecting her courage, she showed the letter to her father. There were a thousand unanswered questions whirling around in Aerrow's mind at that moment when his youngest child handed him a piece of rolled up writing paper.

As he read the letter, his eyes gradually grew wider with each passing paragraph. Finally, as he read the last few lines, his eyes closed in surprise and he didn't dare to open them in case it was all just a trick.

"Dad? Dad? Dad, are you okay?"

Kayne's concerned voice cut through Aerrow like a knife through flesh. Opening his eyes he saw that his everyone was looking at him worriedly. Smiling in reassurance he insisted, "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

He indicated for Pippin to get up and go with him. She did as she was told. Pippin followed her red-headed father in to his study and looked at him nervously, "Am I in trouble?" She finally asked. Aerrow shook his head as he sank down in to the big and black leather chair behind his desk.

The duo was silent for some time then Aerrow spoke, "Where did you get this letter?"

"Outside in the mailbox." Pippin answered and smiled wryly.

"Who sent it to you?"

"My God-Mother."

"Why is Piper's name on it?"

"Because Piper is my God-Mother's name, dad."

Aerrow sighed and said softly, "Your God-Mother is dead babe(A/N – My dad calls me that all the time). I know you like to think of her still alive but she's gone."

Pippin shook her head, "I won't believe it. Sure she may not have a body but she still has a spirit, Dad. She's still alive but she doesn't live here anymore. I saw her and I spoke with her. She told me about Junko and Stork and the good old days."

Pippin paused to take a breath before continuing before he father could butt in, "Piper also told me that you made your friends your team because you trusted them. She also said that you were her best friend before becoming the Storm Hawks. She showed me a picture and it had you when you were younger with a merb, wallop, sky monkey and two other humans!"

Aerrow was silent, "Don't tell me she's not real Dad because I know she is. She's alive and well in our minds and our hearts. Don't give up on her." Pippin whimpered but the tears didn't come. Aerrow sighed and wearily shrugged, "I don't doubt that Piper told you all that but how?"

"I saw her in my dream. She was so beautiful Dad you should have seen her." Pippin smiled wistfully at the memory. _The parcel the letter came in... _A whispered clue. Pippin raced out of her father's study with a quick, "Hang on Dad! I'll be back!" and sped to her room.

She clutched at the parcel and felt something inside. She reached in and brought out an album of photos. Clutching it to her chest she ran back to her father's study and nearly dropped the heavy book on to the desk. Flicking through, one picture caught her father's eye, "Stop there."

The picture was of the Storm Hawks on Terra Atmosia with the Council Hall and Beacon Tower behind them. Her father sighed dreamily, "That was the day I was officially knighted. Piper wanted the picture taken and I just couldn't say no to her. Those damn gorgeous eyes of hers."

Pippin giggled softly and a sudden breeze lifted her strawberry curls from her shoulders. Her father looked over to the window but it was shut. The door was closed too, "Piper? Is that you?"

Suddenly the chalk from Aerrow's blackboard rose and started to write;

_Yes. Hello Aerrow. Old friend. Good to see you again God-Daughter._

"Hi Piper!" She turned to her father, "See? Told you she was still here." Aerrow just blinked in astonishment and scooped up his daughter and gave her a hug that made her feel warm all over. The chalk started to write again;

_I have to go but please don't forget about me?_

Pippin nodded sincerely, "Never Piper. Never. I couldn't. And neither could Dad."

_Goodbye my friends._

The chalk dropped and Aerrow and his youngest daughter went out to the lounge to work on their maps. In honour of Piper.

No. They could never forget their family's spirit. Never.


End file.
